A LARGE KESI 'PEACH FESTIVAL' TEXTILE LATE MING – EARLY QING DYNASTY |

embroidered with a lively scene of the legendary ‘Peach Festival’, depicting numerous immortals eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, with immortals seated on a cloud above a further group led by Li Tieguai, travelling amongst deer, ox and a tiger while carrying auspicious objects including peach boughs, lingzhi and double-gourds, all below Shoulao and the baxian standing on a pavilion, looking up and pointing animatedly at Xiwangmu seated astride her phoenix as she descends upon the Western paradise amid swirling clouds and flying cranes, enclosed by a border of antiques and a band of two confronting phoenix divided by a peony spray, all above Buddhist lions cavorting amongst beribboned precious objects

Sotheby's New York, 30th March 2006, lot 201.

This rare panel, which is entirely woven without painted details, is in very good condition for its age and material. There are a few areas of expected loss of silk thread, some stabilised with a proxy substance which has slightly discolored, such as the clouds at the top-right corner and the bottom right rock (visible in catalogue photograph). Certain details such as the shoes of one of the figures on the balcony have been sewn along the edges and possibly reinforced by glue. A section along the top may have been removed. The colours are very well preserved with only minor foxing and are consistent with the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This kesi depicts the Peach Festival, a popular Daoist theme associated with the birthday celebration of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West. According to legend, this event only took place in the Western Paradise once every 3000 years. On the present kesi panel, the immortals are shown travelling to the Jade Palace in the Kunlun Mountains to celebrate the birthday of Xiwangmu, who has the sole authority to grant Peaches of Eternal Life and to bestow celebrants of the Festival with great fortune.  The scene depicted was probably taken from a painting and several similar variations are known; a closely related kesi, but lacking the border of antiques and woven with four large characters at the top, huafeng sanzhu (three blessings at the frontier), is illustrated in John E. Vollmer, Silks for Thrones and Altars. Chinese Costumes and Textiles, Paris, 2003, pl. 58. Compare also an example from the Chris Hall Collection Trust, published in Feng Zhao, Treasures in Silk, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 10.10; another sold in our London rooms, 6th November 2013, lot 309; and a slightly later version from the collection of Dr Ip Yee, sold in these rooms, 19th November 1984, lot 127.

Compare three large related kesi panels depicting 'One Hundred Boys' at play below a band of confronting phoenixes: one sold in our London rooms, 12th July 2006, lot 59, and again in these rooms, 7th April 2015, lot 3117; another from the collection of Mary Porter Walsh, sold in our New York rooms, 28th November 1994; and a further example also sold in our New York rooms, 17th September 2013, lot 215, and included in the exhibition Threads of Imagination: Central Asian and Chinese Silks from the 12th to the 19th Century, Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1999, cat. no. 21.